T-G Top 10: No. 2 Area high school football historically successful

In terms of all-around success, the 2013 high school football season was the best the area has ever seen.

For the first time, four teams made playoffs, and the area's overall win total (54-41) shattered the local record by three.

For the second year in a row, six teams had winning records (hadn't been done before 2012), and there also were a combined three league titles (only done in 1994, 2006 and 2011). That trio included Northwestern, Loudonville and Black River.

All three made playoffs, where they were joined by Mapleton, a team that had a breakthrough season for the ages.

The Mounties hadn't had a winning season in 18 years and hadn't made playoffs in 22. But behind a start that included their first three-game win streak in more than a decade, they vaulted into Week 11 with a 6-4 record under first-year coach Robert Mahaney, the Division VII co-Coach of the Year.

One of the Mounties who helped lead an area season charged with amazing individual performances was junior running back Travis Pickering, who broke Mapleton records in scoring (114 points), touchdowns (19) and rushing yards (1,773).

Most years, those numbers would have been runaway area-bests, but not in 2013, which harbored some of the best players in area history.

Black River's Andrew Vaughn was the biggest headliner, smashing area records for career rushing yards (6,097), TDs (82) and points (530) as the Pirates' first three-time All-Ohioan.

Nipping at his heels was Northwestern's Tyler Smith, a two-time All-Ohioan who ended up second in local history in TDs (71) and points (436) while also breaking the NHS career rushing record (3,833).

Loudonville had its own breakthrough, claiming its first league title since 1992, then earning its first playoff win since 1990 -- a gritty, head-to-head area bout in the first round in front of a packed house at Northwestern (20-8 final).

Redbirds quarterback Kolton Edmondson became the first area player to run for 1,500 yards and pass for 1,000 in a season. Linebacker Ryan Weber put together what likely were the first back-to-back seasons of 1,000 yards rushing and 100 tackles in area history.

That duo helped give Loudonville an area-high four All-Ohioans in a season that had 18 locals make the all-state list. Hillsdale's Ryan Bee, who set the school's career sacks record (32) as one of the state's biggest threats on the defensive line, joined Weber and Pickering as first-team All-Ohioans -- tying for the most local first-teamers since at least 2007.